When you are trying to lose pregnancy weight, you might be worried that all this healthy eating will be tough on your wallet.
So if you are trying to save a bit of cash for something special, or just want to save some money on your grocery shopping, here are 5 ideas for budget friendly meals that still taste great.
Go Vegetarian
Having a night or two each week meat-free can save you lots of money in the long run. And it doesn’t mean that everyone won’t have full tummies.
Think stuffed jacket potatoes with any filling of choice – cheese and baked beans, chopped tomato, basil and feta, cooked garlic mushrooms – the options are endless!
Or how about a healthy grilled mushroom burger with loads of salad.
Try this: Stuffed Sweet Potatoes
Open A Tin
Look to your pantry cupboard for inspiration. A well stocked kitchen should always have tins of food that you can use as the basis for a healthy meal.
Think tomatoes, chickpeas, lentils, tuna, and salmon. You can use these to make meals such as tuna patties, use the chickpeas to make hummus, add the tomatoes to a soup or casserole to make it go further.
Try this: Chickpea Patties
Try Using Mince
Mince is often a lot cheaper than the other cuts of meat, and you can often save money by buying more (say 2kg instead of 500g) and then freezing in smaller portions.
Another great tip when cooking with mince is to use a bit less and bulk it up with lentils and other veggies such as grated carrot, beetroot or zucchini, or chopped baby spinach.
It doesn’t just need to be beef or lamb mince, why not try chicken mince which is much cheaper than buying chicken breast.
Try this: Cheesy Chicken Meatloaf
Make It With Rice
Whether it’s a quick fried rice or a hearty risotto, you can normally be sure that little ones will gobble it up and have full tummies. Choose brown rice where possible (you can also get brown basmati) as it has a slower energy release than white rice – keeping you fuller for longer.
Here’s a time saving tip – whenever you need to cook brown rice, cook double or triple. Once cooled, you can freeze in single cup or family sized portions. When you are ready to use it, just defrost it in the microwave and then heat up until it’s steaming. To read 15 tips for saving time on your cooking, click here.
Try this: Brown Rice Mushroom Risotto
Start With Eggs
Eggs are a great option for a quick meal that’s nutritious, tasty and filling. When you’re busy, you can’t go past scrambled eggs on toast for a speedy meal (you could add some chopped tomato, or cooked mushroom if you want to bulk it out a little more).
Other options for cooking with eggs are quiches or fritattas which are a great way to sneak in plenty of extra veggies too. Adding a rasher of chopped up bacon when you are cooking the onion or vegetables is a great way to add flavour without the expense of too much meat.
Try this: Baked Mini Frittatas
